Pointing to a winner

Charlottesville-Albemarle Kennel Club Dog Show judge Chuck Winslow appraised the tournament’s seven furry finalists.

Arrayed before him Saturday at the Foxfield racetrack was a black standard poodle, a fluffy Pekingese, a smooth fox terrier, a Bernese mountain dog, a rough collie, a petit basset griffon vendeen and a regal orange-and-white English pointer.

The crowd was hushed. Winslow stroked his goatee in deep thought. The dogs panted in the afternoon heat.

“Thank you all very much,” Winslow told the dogs’ handlers. “It’ll be the pointer.”

Deemed top dog out of 1,012 canines in 127 breeds, the Best in Show winner Saturday was “Cookieland Seasyde Hollyberry,” a 2-year-old female English pointer from Chesapeake City, Md., who goes by the name “Holly” for short.

Holly is no stranger to the winner’s circle. Since September, she has been named Best in Show 42 times. She is considered the nation’s No. 2 dog out of all breeds. Professional

handler Michael E. Scott showed the dog Saturday on behalf of her owners in New York City.

Saturday’s daylong event marked the 50th all-breed dog show of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Kennel Club. Judging will continue today, as the club holds its 51st show. It begins at 8 a.m. and admission is $5.

“Come on out. Support your breed,” said Peggy Kessler, co-chairwoman of the club. “Bring a hat and an umbrella. It’ll go on rain or shine. We never stop unless there’s a hurricane.”

During judging of Saturday’s best terriers, a lightning storm passed over Foxfield and dumped buckets of rain on spectators, handlers and dogs. As thunder clapped nearby and rain pounded the event’s tent, dozens of dogs barked frantically.

Apart from the storm, the show’s human participants — who came from across Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Georgia and elsewhere — said the day’s tournament went swimmingly.

“The people here all very nice. Well, the majority of them,” Crystle Graham, as she groomed a Portuguese water dog named Carlo. “It’s just a good time. We get to play with dogs. It’s like a sport. A sport with dogs.”

Not far away, Katey and Dennis Brown trimmed the puffy white fur of four bichon frieses. The couple from Savannah, Ga., quit their jobs at a commercial real estate firm two years ago to pursue their dream of becoming full-time professional dog handlers. Saturday, they showcased Joey, who is ranked the nation’s No. 3 bichon friese.

“You can make more money doing this than you can in a 9-to-5 job,” said Katey Brown, as she groomed a bichon friese puppy named Barbie Doll. “We’re never going back. This is too much fun.”